Shintarō Katsura
| birthday = August 12 | age = Unknown | gender = Male | height = 5'10" | weight = 146 lbs | eyes = Light Brown | hair = Black | blood type = A | affiliation = Silver-Hairs Gang | previous affiliation = Gotei 13 | occupation = Renegade | previous occupation = Fourth Seat of the Eighth Division | team = Silver-Hairs Gang | previous team = Gotei 13 | partner = Tsukuyo Sone | previous partner = Shunsui Kyōraku | base of operations = | marital status = Single | relatives = Unknown | education = Shinō Academy | status = Active | shikai = Not Yet Revealed | bankai = Not Yet Revealed }} Shintarō Katsura (桂 脛太郎, Katsura Shintarou) is a male and the former Fourth Seat of the Eighth Division in the Gotei 13, having served under Captain Seireitou Kawahiru. As a founding member of the division, he is regarded as one of the . Over a thousand years old, he defected from the Gotei 13. Katsura and Tsukuyo Sone now work together as Hollow exterminators within , evading the Gotei 13's watchful eyes, while also working under contract for . Appearance Katsura has dark midnight purple hair that is about neck length which he keeps framed around his head. He is shown to have dark amber-brown eyes and wears a pair of thin glasses. Contrary to his strength, Katsura has a rather slender build but is a tall man. He wears a black trench coat that is buttoned by a single flap on his chest and tied by a modern black obi that allows him to wear his dual-blade Zanpakutō. Two thin red lines run down the length of the coat's sleeves which connect with two flat shoulder plates which are buttoned down. The sleeves appear to be rolled up to his elbows to reveal the armbands around his forearm which wrap around his palms. Katsura seems to wear regular black pants underneath the trench coat and also wears black boots. Personality Despite having been a devout subordinate of the eccentric Seireitou Kawahiru, Katsura is a deeply serious and focused individual. Almost bearing a stern expression, he is a man that stays on task regardless of the situation. However, he has inherited his former Captain's desire to protect, being devoted to defending Tsukuyo Sone exclusively while refusing to stand back and watch as an innocent is put into harm's way. Even before learning of his tutelage under Seireitou, Katsura immediately came to Minato Kuramoto's aid when his life was in danger. Having grown up without a family, Katsura looked to his Captain as a role model and father figure, with Seireitou teaching him much about life and battle. As such, he is extremely grateful to Seireitou and always has considered him his "Boss" (ダンナ, Danna), often referring to him as such when speaking of Seireitou; a trait he shares with Tsukuyo and . In a fight, this serious level-minded persona carries through and proves to be a valuable asset of his. He is never shown to betray his instincts or to second guess his actions, carrying through with his intentions until they are completely carried out. However, he is shown to have some sense of arrogance, having incredible pride in his prowess and never hesitant to make his skill known, whether by his actions or by some form of boasting. Although, despite this, Katsura is almost always able to back up his claims, going beyond his limits to ensure he succeeds. Seireitou is accustomed to calling Katsura by the nickname "Zura" (桂), which often annoys the latter in many a comical manner; a trait that is later adopted by Tsukuyo and Raian as well, among others. It is rare to see him display a humorous side of him but it does exist, often revealing itself whenever Katsura is drunk. He seems to have adopted many of Seireitou's negative traits as well, such as his tendency to lust after women with large chests and to overdo it when drinking sake. Raian himself called Katsura a "mini-Seireitou" in this regard, but not meaning it in a negative fashion either, due to Katsura's indomitable spirit in battle and in his beliefs. History Synopsis Inventions Powers & Abilities Immense Spiritual Power: Katsura possesses a significant degree of spiritual power within him that effortlessly puts him in the league of a Gotei 13 Captain. It is great enough to quickly alert Jugram Haschwalth to his presence, subsequently prompting a visible facial expression of surprise to become evident upon the Stern Ritter. The coloration of his reiatsu is a dark red reminiscent of split blood. Shunpō Master: Being a trained Shinigami, Katsura is highly advanced in the art of Shunpō. He is able to transcend large distances in the blink of an eye and outmaneuver even the most skilled opponents in close-quarters combat. It is seemingly fluid and expansive at first but narrows tightly, becoming a straight charge during battle, a style of speed aimed solely at the total destruction of the foe in as little time as possible. Immense Strength: Having been conditioned through his former Captain's special training, Katsura possesses a massive degree of physical strength. With a flick of his wrist, a single sword slash from him can overturn concrete and subsequently generate a shockwave of pure force that can smash everything within a reasonable range of the strike. It is monstrous enough to contend with Kenpachi Zaraki's own strength, allowing Katsura to match the powerful Captain with ease. Zanjutsu Master Having refined his skills ever since his time as a seated officer, Katsura wields extraordinary skill with Zanjutsu. In fact, due to his prowess, he has been renowned by the moniker "Instant-Kill Katsura" (瞬殺の桂, Shunsatsu no Katsura) by all that have witnessed his abilities with the sword. General Swordsmanship Prowess: Katsura is a swordsman with absolutely amazing skills, easily allowing him to contend with almost any opponent in a bladed encounter. It is subtle but direct, aimed at attacking the opponent's ability to fight so as to avoid taking a life; despite how effortlessly it would be for him to do so. In terms of fighting Hollow, however, he does not hold the same mentality, though avoids needless bloodshed. His skill is so great that he can cut through the mask of a Hollow in a perfect symmetrical manner and repeat the same motion, down to the exact millimeters, on a horde of a hundred forlorn souls. Katsura's slashes are so quick and precise, it is nearly impossible to actually tell when he made his attack. He can effortlessly conceal ten or so strikes in a single slash, each of them boasting a grand degree of force that can level a cliff without fail. : Unique to Katsura, he is capable of utilizing a form of soul resonance to connect his sight with another individual and utilize them as a medium to extend the range of his own enhanced vision. However, for this to work, he must be able to sense their spiritual pressure and resonate his own with it in order to create the connection. Activating the technique causes both his eyes and the eyes of the linked volunteer to glow a faint blue. Zanjutsu Techniques: As a refined master of the sword, Katsura is known for being knowledgeable of several sword styles and techniques. Though he trained under Seireitou and learned much about swordsmanship under him, much of Katsura's skills were attained through his own experiences and self-study, taken from various styles that he had . Among these techniques, there are many that Katsura himself developed for his sole use. Azai Arashi-ryū (浅井嵐流, literally "Shallow Springs Tempest/Storm Style") Zanpakutō Sesshōmaru (殺生丸, "Killing Perfection") is the name of Katsura's Zanpakutō. Its sealed form consists of two separate entities: one is a standard katana with a golden brown hilt and a bronze rectangular tsuba within in a dark blue sheath while the other takes the form of a wooden bokken that has special kanji characters etched onto its handle. Both of them were worn at his hip. *'Shikai:' It is released with the command, "Slay them" (射殺せ, Ikorose). Katsura explains that the dual pair that Sesshōmaru manifests as in its sealed state means to represent both the "sword that gives life" and the "sword that takes life", which is why the former is depicted as the wooden bokken that can not slash an opponent whereas the latter depicts the actual katana. However, when in its released form, both swords take on matching forms; becoming a pair of katana with jet black hilts and circular tsuba that carry unique features etched onto their design. Tsukuyo has stated that Katsura only utilizes his Zanpakutō's Shikai when he is determined to defeat his opponent by any means necessary, although he is extremely reluctant to do so, to the point that he almost never allows himself to use Sesshōmaru's released form when around children so as not to subject them to the violence he is capable of inflicting onto his opponents with these swords. His protest also is attributed to Katsura being a firm believer of the Katsujinken. :Shikai Special Ability: Sesshōmaru is strictly a melee-type Zanpakutō, granting no special techniques nor magic-like abilities to its master, but does in fact possess a key trait that sets it apart from standard melee-types. The power it grants is linked to Sesshōmaru's name as "killing perfection", in that the level of its cutting power can be manipulated and enhanced with direct correspondence to Katsura's will and spirit, allowing the weapons to reach absurdly sharp capabilities. However, it is not only this trait that makes Sesshōmaru such a dangerous weapon, but in also allowing Katsura to access his true dual-wielding fighting style, which has been proven to completely surpass his prowess with a single sword. Combined with the sharpness of these swords, it is presumed that Katsura can effortlessly dominate any Captain-class opponent while in the Shikai state. :*'Shuntensatsu' (瞬天殺, literally meaning "Immediate Killing by Heaven's Sword"): Not Yet Revealed *'Bankai:' Kamiteki no Musha (神敵の武者, "God-Rivaling Warrior"): In most cases, the combination of the Shikai and the Azai Arashi-ryū become more than enough to handle any opponent that Katsura should happen to encounter. However, this does not hold true for every predicament, as when confronted by an adversary of superior power, it becomes necessary for Katsura to use his trump card: the Bankai. Although there may come a need for its power, he outright refuses to use it when in the presence of others; especially innocents. He goes to great lengths to ensure that the power of his Bankai remains secret, going as far as to often claim that he has yet to achieve the advanced release state. So heavily guarded is this secret that neither Tsukuyo, his most closest partner, nor Seireitou, his former mentor, are aware that he possesses a Bankai. In order to engage an opponent in which Bankai becomes necessary, Katsura will often seek a method of relocating the battle or other means to maintain the secrecy, so as to finally utilize the form. When released, the Bankai unleashes a massive discharge of black spiritual energy which then wraps around his body. Katsura now dons a magnificent suit of traditional armour, complete with the entire ensemble; consisting of an extremely durable chest plate which covers his torso, the sode, haidate, suneate, kusazuri, and the kabuto, among other items featured in the standard set-up depicted in ancient warrior lore. The armor is shown to make Katsura seem a lot more bulky in stature and proportion than he actually is. It is remarkably durable, capable of standing up to a volley of powerful assaults without yielding any visible damage. Quotes * (To Akylas Strakosha, about Seireitou facing Micythos) "It's admirable that all of you can raise your morale from your boss entering the battle. But make no mistake... Our boss will defeat your boss. You're not the only ones who get a high from sensing their boss fighting!" Behind the Scenes His appearance is based off of Shinpachi Shimura's future self from Gintama: The Movie: The Final Chapter: Be Forever Yorozuya.